Nail pulling device



Oct. 6, 1936. E. BERRY ET AL ANAIL PULLING DEVICE Filed Dec. 19, 1935 Patented Oct. v 6, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 14 Claims.

Our invention relates to devices for pulling nails and particularly for pulling nails which have lost their head portions, and it has for its object the provision of a new and improved form and arrangement of parts by which a headless nail or the like can be gripped ilrmly and drawn out readily by a lever action. It is one of the objects of our invention to provide an arrangement of this type in which the gripping jaws are movable obliquely toward and from each o-ther, in which the movement of the jaws is effected through the medium of a swingingly mounted member normally projecting beyond the end of the handle of the device, and in which such swingingly mounted member is located in position for employment as the bearing about which the device as a whole is swung for drawing out the nail, the arrangement being such that the pressure upon such swingingly mounted member in the operation of drawing out the nail serves to tighten the grip of the jaws upon the nail.

It is one of the objects of our invention to improve devices of thistype in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which we have accomplished our several objects are illustrated in the drawing and are hereinafter specifically described. That which we believe to be new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the claims.

In the drawing,-

Fig. 1 is a perspective View lof our improved device, with the handle member broken away;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a changed position of certainof the parts;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View through our improved device, being taken substantially at line 3-3 of Fig. 4, with parts broken away, and showing one of the hammer heads complete in addition to the parts shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken at line 4-4 of Fig. 3, but with both of the hammer heads broken away; e

Fig. 5 is a central vertical section taken at line 5--5 of Fig. 4;

45 Fig. 6 is a face View of the slide plates upionl which the gripping jaws of the device are mounted; and

Fig. 7 is a central vertical section through the cover plate of our improved device and the attached operating lever.

Referring now to the several gures of the drawing, in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, Ill indicates a handle member of any approved type mounted at its end within a socket member II which Vis provided at its opposite side faces with hammer head members I2 and I 3 of any approved type.

In the outer face of the plate I4 comprising one of the face portions of the socket member I I, 5 we have provided grooves I5 (see Figs. 3 and 4) which converge with respect to each other toward theadjacent end of the handle Ill. Upon the outer face of said plate portion I4, we have mounted two slide members I6 and Il which are 10 shown in the form of plates having downwardly turned flange portions I8 at their outer edges adapted by engagement with the grooves I5 to cause the slide members I6 and Il to move toward and from each other as said members are moved together longitudinally of the handle ID. As is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 6 the member I6 is provided with a lug i9 which has sliding engagement in the notch formed in the slide member I'i so as to cause the slide members I5 and II to move in unison back and forth longitudinally of the handle. Upon the ends of the slide members I6 and I1, we have provided jaw members 2I and 22 respectively in position to project outwardly from the face of the handle as is best shown in Fig. 5.

In the arrangement shown, the slide members I6 and I'I are normally held in position upon the plate I4 in operative engagement with the grooves I 5 by means of a cover plate 23 which is provided 30 with downwardly turned flange portions 24 and 25 at its side edges, as is best shown in Fig. 4, and with an end iiange 26 as is clearly shown in Figs.

5 and '7. The cover plate 23 is also provided with an elongated opening 21 therethrough positioned 35 longitudinally of the handle IU, a downwardly projecting lug 28 being provided at one end of the opening 21 and an upwardly projecting lug 29 being provided at the opposite end. A coiled spring is interposed between the lug 28 of the cover plate and a transversely extending portion 3| of the slide member Il for holding the slide members I6 and I'I normally in the position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 corresponding to the laterally spaced arrangement of the jaw members 2| and 22. A seating member 32 is preferably interposed between the end of the spring 30 and the engaged portion of the slide plate Il, as is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5. For accommodating the spring 3|] and the associated parts in posi- 50 tion as described, a groove 33 is provided in the upper face of the plate I4, as is clearly seen in Figs. 4 and 5. The cover plate 23 is normally held in position by means of a retaining screw 34 (see Fig. 5) such screw 34 serving also to hold 55 a closure plate 35 in position for covering the opening 2l in the cover plate 23. One end of the closure plate 33 is notched for engaging the lug 29.

For moving the slide members I6 and Il back and forth together longitudinally of the handle, we have provided' a lever 36 in the form of a yoke which is pivotally mounted in position by means of bolts 31 passing through the arms of the yoke and through the flanges 24 and 25 of the cover plate 23. At their upper ends, the arms of the yoke are turned inwardly to provide operating lugs 38 and 39 in position to engage the jaw members 2l and 22, the arrangement being such that when the lever 36 is swung from the position as shown in Fig. l to the position as shown in Fig'. 2 the jaw members 2l and 22 and the connected slide members I6 and Il are moved longitudinally of the handle to the position as shown in Fig. 2, this movement being effected against the force of the spring 30. This longitudinal movement of the slide members I6 and I1 toward the left in Fig. 3 by the retraction of the operating lever 36 serves to move the slide members I6 and l1 transversely toward each other, by the action of the grooves I5 upon the flanges I8, into operative gripping relation as shown in Fig. 2.

With the parts in the condition as illustrated in Fig. 1, the device is placed in position to bring the jaws 2| and 22 upon opposite sides of the nail to be gripped, the device as a whole being brought into pressure engagement with the face of the member in which the nail is located. As a result of this pressure engagement of the parts, the lever 36 is moved backwardly into retracted position as shown in Fig. 2, serving to bring the jaws 2| and 22 into tight gripping relation to the nail so as to be enabled to hold the nail eiiectively whether or not the head portion of the nail has been broken away, a considerable multiplication of power being effected through the lever 36. The handle l0 is then swung about the end of the lever 36 as a fulcrum serving to draw the nail out of the member in which it is located, the continued pressure upon the lever 36 having a tendency to tighten the jaws upon the nail during the operation of extracting the nail. Upon the completion of the operation, `when the device is removed from the face of the board or other member from which the nail has been extracted, the lever 36 is free to move again to its projected position as shown in Fig. 1, serving to loosen the jaws with respect to the extracted nail and serving to put the parts again in condition for use as shown in Fig. 1.

While we prefer to employ the form of mechanism as shown in our drawing, it is to be understood that our invention is not limited to the form shown, since it is evident that changes might well be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spiritv of our invention.

We claim:-

1. In a device of the type described, the combination of a handle, two jaw members, and means for mounting said jaw members on said handle and for moving them along the handle longitudinally thereof, comprises two plates mounted on the handle so as to move longitudinally thereof at one end of the handle and connected with said jaw members for holding themin position projecting outwardly from the face of the handle, and means adapted upon movements of the plates back and forth longitudinally of the handle to give the plates and the jaw members movements toward and from each other transversely of the handle, a longitudinally movable part of said mounting and moving means for said jaw members being normally positioned beyond the end of the handle and being adapted upon movement backwardly toward the handle to effect the transverse movement of said jaw members toward each other into position to grip a headless nail.

2. In a device of the type described, the combination of a handle, two jaw members, and means for mounting said jaw members on said handle and for moving them along the handle longitudinally thereof, comprising two plates mounted on the handle so as to move longitudinally thereof at one end of the handle and connected with said Ajaw members for holding them in position projecting outwardly from the face of the handle, means adapted upon movements of the plates back and forth longitudinally of the handle to give the plates and the jaw members movements toward and from each other transversely 'of the handle, a longitudinally movable part of said mounting and moving means for said jaw members being normally positioned beyond the end of the handle and being adapted upon movement backwardly toward the handle to eif'ect the transverse movement of said jaw members toward each other into positionto grip a headless nail, and yielding means adapted normally to hold said plates in the position longitudinally of the handle corresponding to the transversely spaced positions of the jaw members.

3. In a device `of the type described, the combination of a handle, jaw members projecting outwardly from one face of said handle at one end of the handle and movable toward and from each other, and means comprising a lever pivotally mounted on a transverse axis on said handle adapted by a swingingmovement toward a transverse plane to move said jaw members into operative relation with each other for gripping a headless nail.

4. In a device of the type described, the combination of a handle', jaw members projecting outwardly from one face of said handle at one end of the handle and movable toward and from each other, and means comp-rising a member projecting beyond the end of the handle and movable backwardly toward the handle adapted by an operative backward stroke to move said jaw members into operative relation for gripping a headless nail.

5. In a device of the type described, the combination of a handle, jaw members projecting outwardly from one face of said handle at one end o'f the handle and movable longitudinally of the handle, cam means adapted upon movements of the jaw members together back and forth in opposite directions longitudinally of the handle to move said jaw members toward and from each other, and means comprising a me'mber projecting beyond the end of the handle and movable backwardly' toward the handle adapted by an operative backward stroke to move said jaw members longitudinally of the handle in the direction for moving them toward each other into operative relation for gripping a headless nail.

6. In a device ofthe type described, the combination of a handle, jaw members projecting outwardlyy from one face of said handle at one end of the Handle and movable longitudinally of the handlegcam meansadapted move 'i5 ments of the jaw members together back and forth in opposite directions longitudinally of the handle to move said jaw members toward and from each other, and means comprising a lever pivotally mounted on a transverse axis on said handle in position to project beyond the end of the handle and adapted by a swinging movement backwardly toward the handle to move said jaw members longitudinally in the direction for moving them toward each other into operative relation for gripping a headless nail.

7. In a device of the type described, the combination of a handle, jaw members projecting outwardly from one face of said handle at one end of the handle and movable toward and from each other, yielding means normally holding the parts in the position corresponding to the spaced relation positions of the jaw members, and means comprising an operating member movably mounted on said handle and normally projecting beyond the end of the handle adapted upon an operative stroke into retracted position to move said jaw members toward each other into operative relation for gripping a headless nail.

8. In a device of the type described, the combination of a handle, jaw members projecting outwardly from one face of said handle at one end of the handle and movable longitudinally of the handle, cam means adapted upon movements of the jaw members together back and forth in opposite directions longitudinally of the handle to move said jaw members toward and from each other, yielding means normally holding said cam means in operative position for holding said jaw members separated from each other, and means comprising a member projecting beyond the end of the handle and movable backwardly toward the handle adapted by an operative backward stroke to move said jaw members longitudinally of the handle in the direction for moving them toward each other into operative relation for gripping a headless nail.

9. In a device of the type described, the combination of a handle, jaw members projecting outwardly from one face of said handle at one end of the handle and movable toward and from each other, and means comprising a member projecting beyond the end of the handle and movable backwardly toward the handle adapted by an operative backward stroke to move said jaw members into operative relation for gripping a headless nail and normally standing in such positionas to serve as a fulcrum for the extraction of a nail gripped by said jaw members, the arrangement being such that the pressure on said fulcrum tends to tighten the grip of the jaw members on the nail.

10. In a device of the type described, the combination of a handle, plates mounted on said handle and slidable longitudinally of the handle, guides for causing said plates to move edgewise toward and from each other as they move together longitudinally in opposite directions, jaw members carried by said plates and projecting outwardly from the face of the handle, and means comprising a member projecting beyond the end of the handle and movable backwardly toward the handle adapted by an operative backward stroke to move said jaw members intooperative relation for gripping a headless nail.

11. In a device of the type described, the combination of a handle, a metal plate mounted on the face of the handle at one end of the handle and having grooves in its outer face converging toward the adjacent end of the handle, slide members mounted on said plate and having guide means engaging said grooves for giving the slide members edgewise movements toward and from each other as they move back and forth together along the plate, jaw members carried by said slide members and projecting outwardly from the face of the handle, and means for moving said slide members in the direction for causing said jaw members to grip a headless nail.

12. In a device of the type described, the combination of a handle, a socket member in which said handle is mounted having grooves in its outer face at one side converging toward the adjacent end of the handle, slide members mounted on said socket -member and having ilanges extending into said grooves for giving the slide members edgewise movements toward and from each other as they move back and forth together longitudinally of the handle, jaw members carried by said slide members and projecting outwardly from the face of the handle, and means for moving said slide members in the direction for causing said jaw members to grip a headless nail.

13. In a device of the type described, the combination of a handle, a socket member in which said handle is mounted having grooves in its outer face at one side converging toward the adjacent end of the handle, slide members mounted on said socket member and having anges extending into said grooves for giving the slide members edgewise movements toward and from each other as they move back and forth together longitudinally of the` handle, jaw members carried by said slide members and projecting outwardly from the face of the handle, and means comprising a member projecting beyond the end of the handle and movable backwardly toward the handle adapted by an operative backward stroke to move said jaw members in the direction for causing said jaw members to grip a headless nail.

14. In a device of the type described, the combination of a handle, a socket member in which said handle is mounted having grooves in its outer face at one side converging toward the adjacent end of the handle, slide members mounted on said socket member and having ilanges extending into said grooves for giving the slide members edgewise movements toward and from each other as they move back and forth together longitudinally of the handle, jaw members carried by said slide members and projecting outwardly from the face of the handle, yielding means normally holding said slide members at the limit of their movement in the direction for separating said jaw members, and means comprising a lever pivotally mounted on a transverse axis on said socket member in position to project beyond the end of the socket member and adapted by a swinging movement backwardly toward the socket member to move said slide members longitudinally of the handle in the direction for causing said jaw members to be moved toward each other against the action of said yielding means into position to grip a headless nail.

LEE E. BERRY. KARL C. LOEI-IR. 

